Internal Revenue Amendments (P.L. 89-384) enacted
Medicare. It became necessary for most individual s age 65 and older
to have an SSN.

1966

The Veterans Administration began to use the SSN
as the hospital admissions number and for patient record keeping.

1969

The Department of Defense adopted the SSN in lieu
of the military service number for identifying Armed Forces personnel.

1970

Bank Records and Foreign Transactions Act (P.L.
91-508) required all banks, savings and loan associations, credit
unions and brokers/dealers in securities to obtain the SSNs of all
of their customers. Also, financial institutions were required to
file a report with the IRS, including the SSN of the customer, for
any transaction involving more than $10,000.

1971

SSA task force report published which proposed that SSA take a
"cautious and conservative" position toward SSN use and
do nothing to promote the use of the SSN as an identifier. The report
recommended that SSA

Use mass SSN enumeration in schools as a long-range, cost-effective
approach to tightening up the SSN system, and

Consider cooperating with specific health, education and welfare
uses of the SSN by State, local, and other nonprofit organizations.

1972

Social Security Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-603):

Required SSA to issue SSNs to all legally admitted aliens at
entry and of anyone receiving or applying for any benefit paid
for by Federal funds;

Authorized SSA to enumerate children at the time they first
entered school.

1973

Buyers of series E savings bonds are required by
the Treasury Department to provide their SSNs.

Report of the HEW Secretary's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal
Data System concluded that the adoption of a universal identifier
by this country was not desirable; also found that the SSN was not
suitable for such a purpose as it does not meet the criteria of a
universal identifier that distinguishes a person from all others.

1974

Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579) enacted effective September 27, 1975
to limit governmental use of the SSN:

Provided that no State or local government agency may withhold
a benefit from a person simply because the individual refuses
to furnish his or her SSN.

Required that Federal, State and local agencies which request
an individual to disclose his/her SSN inform the individual if
disclosure was mandatory or voluntary. (This was the first mention
of SSN use by local governments.)

1975

Social Services Amendments of 1974 (P.L. 93-647) provided that:

disclosure of an individual's SSN is a condition of eligibility
for AFDC benefits; and

Office of Child Support enforcement Parent Locator Service may
require disclosure of limited information (including SSN and whereabouts)
contained in SSA records.

1976

Tax Reform Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-455) included the following amendments
to the Social Security Act:

To allow use by the States of the SSN in the administration
of any tax, general public assistance, driver's license or motor
vehicle registration law within their jurisdiction and to authorize
the States to require individuals affected by such laws to furnish
their SSNs to the States;

To make misuse of the SSN for any purpose a violation of the
Social Security Act;

To make, under federal law, unlawful disclosure or compelling
disclosure of the SSN of any person a felony, punishable by fine
and/or imprisonment.

To amend section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code to provide
that the SSN be used as the tax identification number (TIN) for
all tax purposes. While the Treasury Department had been using
the SSN as the TIN by regulation since 1962, this law codified
that requirement.

Federal Advisory Committee on False Identification recommended
that penalties for misuse should be increased and evidence requirements
tightened; rejected the idea of national identifier and did not
even consider the SSN for such a purpose.

1977

Food Stamp Act of 1977 (P.L. 96-58) required disclosure of SSNs
of all household members as a condition of eligibility for participation
in the food stamp program.

Privacy Protection Study Commission recommended that:

No steps be taken towards developing standard, universal label
for individuals until safeguards and policies regarding permissible
uses and disclosures were proven effective; and

Executive Order 9397 be amended so that Federal agencies could
no longer use it as legal authority to require disclosure of an
individual's SSN. (No action taken.)

The Carter Administration proposed that the Social Security card
be one of the authorized documents by which an employer could be
assured that a job applicant could work in this country but also
stated that the SSN card should not become a national identity document.

1978

SSA required evidence of age, citizenship, and identity
of all SSN applicants.

1981

Reagan Administration stated that it "is explicitly opposed
to the creation of a national identity card" but recognized
the need for a means for employers to comply with the employer sanctions
provisions of its immigration reform legislation.

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-35) required
the disclosure of the SSNs of all adult members in the household
of children applying to the school lunch program.

Social Security Benefits Act (P.L. 97-123)

Section 4 added alteration and forgery of a Social Security
card to the list of prohibited acts and increased the penalties
for such acts.

Section 6 required any Federal, State or local government agency
to furnish the name and SSN of prisoners convicted of a felony
to the Secretary of HHS, to enforce suspension of disability benefits
to certain imprisoned felons.

Department of Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 97-86) required disclosure
of the SSNs to the Selective Service System of all individuals required
to register for the draft.

1982

Debt Collection Act (P.L. 97-365) required that
all applicants for loans under any Federal loan program furnish their
SSNs to the agency supplying the loan.

All Social Security cards issued to legal aliens not authorized to
work within the United States were annotated "NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT"
beginning in May.

1983

The Social Security Amendments of 1983 (P.L. 98-21)
required that new and replacement Social Security cards issued after
October 30 be made of banknote paper and (to the maximum extent practicable)
not be subject to counterfeiting.

The Interest and Dividend Tax Compliance Act (P.L. 98-67) requires
SSNs for all interest-bearing accounts and provides a penalty of $50
for all individuals who fail to furnish a correct TIN (usually the
SSN).

1984

Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-369)

Amended the Social Security Act to establish an income and eligibility
verification system involving State agencies administering the
AFDC, Medicaid, unemployment compensation, the food stamp programs,
and State programs under a plan approved under title I, X, XIV,
or XVI of the Act. States were permitted to require the SSN as
a condition of eligibility for benefits under any of these programs.

Amended Section 6050I of the IRC to require that persons engaged
in a trade or business file a report (including SSNs) with the
IRS for cash transactions over $10,000.

Amended Section 215 of the IRC to authorize the Secretary of
HHS to publish regulations that require a spouse paying alimony
to furnish IRS with the taxpayer identification number (i.e.,
the SSN) of the spouse receiving alimony payments.

1986

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-603):

Required the Comptroller General to investigate technological
changes that could reduce the potential for counterfeiting Social
Security cards;

Provides that the Social Security card may be used to establish
the eligibility of a prospective employee for employment; and

Required the Secretary of HHS to undertake a study of the feasibility
and costs of establishing an SSN verification system

Tax Reform Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-514)
required individuals filing a tax return due after December 31,
1987, to include the taxpayer identification number--usually the
SSN--of each dependent age 5 or older.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-750) authorized
the Secretary of Transportation to require the use of the SSN on
commercial motor vehicle operators' licenses.

Higher Education Amendments of 1986 (P.L. 99-498) required that
student loan applicants submit their SSN as a condition of eligibility.

1987

SSA initiated a demonstration project on August
17 in the State of New Mexico enabling parents to obtain Social Security
numbers for their newborn infants automatically when the infant's
birth was registered by the State. The program was expanded nationwide
in 1989. Currently, all 50 States participate in the program, as well
as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

1988

Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-242) authorized
the Secretary of HUD to require disclosure of a person's SSN as
a condition of eligibility for any HUD program.

The Family Support Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-485):

Section 125 required, beginning November 1, 1990, a State to
obtain the SSNs of the parents when issuing a birth certificate.

Section 704(a) required individuals filing a tax return due
after December 31, 1989, to include the taxpayer identification
number--usually the SSN--of each dependent age 2 or older.

The Technical and Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-647):

Authorized a State and/or any blood donation facility to use
SSNs to identify blood donors (205(c)(2)(F)).

Required that all title II beneficiaries either have or have
applied for an SSN in order to receive benefits. This provision
became effective with dates of initial entitlement of June 1989
or later. Beneficiaries who refused enumeration were entitled
but placed in suspense.

Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-690) deleted the $5,000 and
$25,000 upper limits on fines that can be imposed for violations
of section 208 of the Social Security Act. The general limit of
$250,000 for felonies in the U.S. Code now applied to SSN violations
under section 208 of the Social Security Act. Also, penalties for
misuse of SSNs apply as well in cases where the number is referred
to by any other name (e.g., taxpayer identification number (TIN)).

1989

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (P.L.
101-239) required that the National Student Loan Data System include,
among other things, the names and SSNs of borrowers.

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-147)
requires the member of the household who applies for the school lunch
program to provide the SSN of the parent of the child for whom the
application is made.

1990

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508):

Section 7201 (Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Amendments
of 1990) provided that no adverse action may be taken against
an individual receiving benefits as a result of a matching program
without verification of the information or notification of the
individual regarding the findings with time to contest.

Section 8053, required an SSN for eligibility for benefits from
the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).

Section 11112, required that individuals filing a tax return
due after December 31, 1991, include the taxpayer identification
number--usually the SSN--of each dependent age 1 or older.

Required an SSN for the officers of food and retail stores that
redeem Food Stamps.

Provided that SSNs maintained as a result of any law enacted
on or after October 1, 1990, will be confidential and may not
be disclosed.

1994

Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994
(P.L. 103-296):

Section 304, authorized the use of the SSN for jury selection.

Section 314, authorized cross-matching of SSNs and Employer
Identification Numbers maintained by the Department of Agriculture
with other Federal agencies for the purpose of investigating both
food stamp fraud and violations of other Federal laws.

Section 318, authorized the use of the SSN by the Department
of Labor in administration of Federal workers' compensation laws.

Section 111 required the Commissioner of Social Security to
develop and submit to Congress a prototype of a counterfeit-resistant
Social Security card that: is made of durable, tamper-resistant
material (e.g., plastic); employs technologies that provide security
features (e.g., magnetic stripe); and provides individuals with
reliable proof of citizenship or legal resident alien status.

Section 111 also required the Commissioner of Social Security
to study and report to Congress on different methods of improving
the Social Security card application process, including evaluation
of the cost and workload implications of issuing a counterfeit-resistant
Social Security card for all individuals and evaluation of the
feasibility and cost implications of imposing a user fee for replacement
cards.

Section 316 required HHS to transmit to SSA, for verification
purposes, certain information about individuals and employers
maintained under the Federal Parent Locator Service in an automated
directory. SSA is required to verify the accuracy of, correct,
or supply to the extent possible, and report to HHS the name,
SSN, and birth date of individuals and the employer identification
number of employers. SSA is to be reimbursed by HHS for the cost
of this verification service. This section also required all Federal
agencies (including SSA) to report quarterly the name and SSN
of each employee and the wages paid to the employee during the
previous quarter.

Section 317 provided that State child support enforcement procedures
require the SSN of any applicant for a professional license, commercial
driver's license, occupational license, or marriage license be
recorded on the application. The SSN of any person subject to
a divorce decree, support order, or paternity determination or
acknowledgement would have to be placed in the pertinent records.
SSNs are required on death certificates.

Section 451 provided that, in order to be eligible for the Earned
Income Tax Credit, an individual must include on his or her tax
return an SSN which was not assigned solely for non-work purposes.

Sections 401-404 provided for 3 specific employment verification
pilot programs in which employers would voluntarily participate.
In general, the pilot programs would allow an employer to confirm
the identity and employment eligibility of the individual. SSA
and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) would provide
a secondary verification process to confirm the validity of the
information provided. SSA would compare the name and SSN provided
and advise whether the name and number match SSA records and whether
the SSN is valid for employment.

Section 414 required the Commissioner to report to Congress
every year, the aggregate number of SSNs issued to noncitizens
not authorized to work, but under which earnings were reported.
Also required the Commissioner to transmit to the Attorney General
a report on the extent to which SSNs and Social Security cards
are used by noncitizens for fraudulent purposes.

Section 415 authorized the Attorney General to require any noncitizen
to provide his or her SSN for purposes of inclusion in any record
maintained by the Attorney General or INS.

Section 656 provided for improvements in identification-related
documents; i.e., birth certificates and driver's licenses. These
sections require publication of regulations which set standards,
including security features and, in the case of driver's licenses,
required that an SSN appear on the license. Federal agencies are
precluded from accepting as proof of identity, documents which
do not meet the regulatory standards.

Section 657 provided for the development of a prototype Social
Security card. The requirements were the same as in Section 111
of the Welfare reform legislation (described above) with the exception
that the Comptroller General is also to study and report to Congress
on different methods of improving the Social Security card application
process.

Sections 401-404 provided for 3 specific employment verification
pilot programs in which employers would voluntarily participate.
In general, the pilot programs would allow an employer to confirm
the identity and employment eligibility of the individual. SSA
and INS would provide a secondary verification process to confirm
the validity of the information provided. SSA would compare the
name and SSN provided and advise whether the name and number match
SSA records and whether the SSN is valid for employment.

Section 414 required the Commissioner of Social Security to
report to Congress every year the aggregate number of SSNs issued
to noncitizens not authorized to work, but under which earnings
were reported. Also required the Commissioner of Social Security
to transmit to the Attorney General a report on the extent to
which SSNs and Social Security cards are used by noncitizens for
fraudulent purposes.

Section 415 authorized the Attorney General to require any noncitizen
to provide his or her SSN for purposes of inclusion in any record
maintained by the Attorney General or INS.

Section 656 provided for improvements in identification-related
documents; i.e., birth certificates and drivers licenses. These
sections required publication of regulations which set uniform
standards, including security features, and, in the case of drivers
licenses, required that an SSN appear on the license. Federal
agencies are precluded from accepting as proof of identity documents
which do not meet the regulatory standards.

Section 657 provided for the development of a prototype Social
Security card. The requirements are the same as in Section 111
of the Welfare reform legislation (described above) with the exception
that the Comptroller General is also to study and report to Congress
on different methods of improving the Social Security card application
process.

1997 Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-34)

Section 1090 required an applicant for an SSN under age 18 to
provide evidence of his or her parents' names and SSNs in addition
to required evidence of age, identity, and citizenship.

Report to Congress on "Options for Enhancing the Social Security
Card" released on September 22, 1997.

Section 362 provided that no funds appropriated for the Department
of Transportation (DOT) may be used to issue the final regulations
required by section 656(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and
Responsibility Act of 1996. Section 656(b) prohibited Federal
agencies from accepting as proof of identification a drivers license
that do not meet standards promulgated by the DOT. The standards
include a document that contains a Social Security number that
can be read electronically or visually and is in a form that includes
security features to limit tampering and counterfeiting.

Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-318)

Makes identity theft (transferring or using another person's
means of identification) a crime, subject to penalties.

Defines "means of identification" to include name,
social security number, date of birth, official State or government
issued driver's license or identification number, alien registration
number, government passport number, and employer or taxpayer identification
number; and

Establishes the Federal Trade Commission as a clearinghouse
to receive complaints, provide informational materials to victims,
and refer complaints to appropriate entities, which may include
credit bureaus or law enforcement agencies.

Vice President announced new policy to allow victims of domestic
violence to change their SSN without proof that the abuser had misused
their SSN.

Each State agency that administers the food stamp program to
enter into a cooperative arrangement with the Commissioner of
Social Security under section 205(r) of the Social Security Act
to verify whether food stamp recipients are deceased to ensure
that benefits are not issued to deceased individuals.

The Secretary of Agriculture is to report to Congress and to
the Secretary of the Treasury on the progress and effectiveness
of the cooperative arrangements established.

Section 2 requires the Treasury Secretary to ensure that SSNs are not visible on or through unopened mailings of government checks or other drafts beginning 11/06/03.

2001

DOT and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-87)

Section 311 provides that no recipient of funds via this Act shall disseminate information, including SSNs, obtained by a State DMV except as authorized by law; Effective 12/18/01.

2002

2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery From and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States (P.L. 107-206)

Title I, Chapter 11 provides funds to the Department of Transportation to be used for purposes of coordinating driver’s license registration and SSN verification.

Help America Vote Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-252)

Section 244 requires the newly established Election Assistance Commission to submit a report, prepared in consultation with the Commissioner of SSA, not later than 18 months after section 303(a)(5) takes effect. This report will discuss the feasibility and advisability of using SSNs or other information compiled by SSA to establish voter registration or other election law eligibility or identification requirements; the report shall address the matching of relevant information specific to an individual voter, the impact of such use on national security issues, and whether adequate safeguards or waiver procedures exist to protect the privacy of an individual voter.

Section 303 requires each State to create a computerized voter registration list, using a unique identifier developed by the state. It also amends the Social Security Act to require the Commissioner to enter into agreements upon the request of the official responsible for a state driver’s license agency to verify the accuracy of certain information regarding applicants (including whether the name, date of birth and SSN of an individual provided to the COSS match the information in SSA’s records and whether such individual is shown as deceased on SSA’s records) for voter registration in Federal elections; effective 01/01/04 except where a waiver applies.

2003

The Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-156)

Section 2 extends the operation of the pilot programs for an additional 5 years (to a total of 11 years).

Section 3(a) expands the operation of the pilot programs to all 50 States not later than 12/01/04; provides that employers in all States must be able to participate in the pilot program.

Not later than one year after the date of enactment, requires the Commissioner of Social Security to:

-- Restrict the issuance of multiple replacement Social Security cards to any individual to 3 per year and 10 for the life of the individual. The Commissioner may allow for reasonable exceptions from these limits on a case-by-case basis in compelling circumstances.

-- Establish minimum standards for the verification of documents or records submitted by an individual to establish eligibility for an original or replacement Social Security card, other than for enumeration at birth (EAB).

-- Require independent verification of any birth record submitted by an individual to establish eligibility for a Social Security account number. SSNs assigned through the EAB process are excluded from this requirement. The Commissioner may allow for reasonable exceptions from independent verification on a case-by-case basis in compelling circumstances.

Notwithstanding section 205(r) of the Social Security Act and any agreement entered into thereunder, requires the Commissioner to add death indicators to the Social Security number verification systems used by employers and State agencies issuing driver’s licenses and identity cards. The Commissioner may also add death indicators to other verification routines as determined appropriate. The death indicators must be added no later than 18 months after enactment.

Requires the Commissioner to add fraud indicators to the Social Security number verification systems used by employers and State agencies issuing drivers' licenses and identity cards. The Commissioner may also add fraud indicators to other verification routines as determined appropriate. The fraud indicators must be added no later than 36 months after enactment.

Requires SSA, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, to form an interagency task force for the purpose of further improving the security of Social Security cards and numbers. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment, the task force must establish security requirements, including standards: for safeguarding cards from counterfeiting, tampering, alteration, and theft; for verifying documents submitted for the issuance of replacement cards; and actions towards increasing enforcement against the fraudulent use or issuance of Social Security numbers and cards. The Commissioner is also required to provide for the implementation of these security requirements.

Requires the Commissioner to make improvements to the EAB application process as soon as practicable after the date of enactment. These improvements shall be designed to prevent the assignment of Social Security account numbers to unnamed children, the issuance of more than one Social Security number to the same child, and other opportunities for fraudulently obtaining a Social Security number. Not later than one year after enactment, the Commissioner must provide a report to Congress specifying the extent to which these improvements were made.

Requires the Commissioner to conduct a study to determine options for ensuring the integrity of the EAB process, including methods to reconcile hospital birth records with birth registrations submitted to State and local agencies and information provided to SSA. Not later than 18 months after enactment, the Commissioner must report to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance on the results of the EAB study, including recommendations for legislative changes as deemed necessary by the Commissioner.

Section 7214:

Prohibits Federal, State, and local governments from displaying SSNs, or any derivative thereof, on drivers' licenses, motor vehicle registrations, or other identification documents issued by State departments of motor vehicles.

2005

The Real ID Act, (P.L. 109-13)

Establishes State driver’s license and identification security standards which requires States to confirm with Social Security a SSN for issuance of a drivers license or identity card

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